98 MILK [vi 



soaking the grains, which has the effect of making them 

 swell, is for the purpose of increasing their activity. 

 After the beverage is prepared, the grains are taken 

 out of it, dried, and kept for future use. When dried 

 they may retain their fermenting power for years. 



A certain amount of mystery surrounds these 

 kephir grains. Their origin is unknown, since they 

 have been used from time immemorial. Their com- 

 position, although investigated at considerable length, 

 is also somewhat of a mystery. They seem to con- 

 tain a number of different kinds of bacteria and 

 moulds, among which yeast fungi predominate. The 

 other micro-organisms which have been found, 

 according to different investigators, in kephir grains 

 are the oidium lactis, leptothrix dispora Caucasia (?), 

 saccharomyces cerivisiae, bacillus acidi lacti (lactic 

 bacilli), "bacillus "butyricus. The following chemical 

 analysis of kephir will show its composition 

 (Hammarsten) : 



Water. . . 88 '9 15 



Fat . . 3-088 



Casein . . 2 -904 



Lactalbumin . -186 



Peptone Bodies . '067 



Sugar . . . . 2*685 



Mineral Salts . . '708 



Alcohol . -720 



Lactic Acid . . . . '727 



100-000 



